Q&A with Matt Thompson

Curator of mammals at the Memphis Zoo

Tools

Three grizzly bear cubs — orphaned after their mother was shot
and killed by a hiker near Yellowstone National Park — found a
new home at the Memphis Zoo last week.

The Wyoming cubs, along with two other grizzly orphans from Alaska,
will be the stars of the zoo's $16 million Teton Trek exhibit. The new
exhibit will highlight the ecosystems of Grand Teton National Park and
Yellowstone National Park and is scheduled to open in October.

Flyer: What happened during the attack in Wyoming?

Matt Thompson: It was a bad day for man and bear. The guy
ended up in the hospital, and, from what we understand, he's still in
the hospital and in really bad shape.

The bear was just being a good mom. It's very unusual for a bear to
raise three cubs. One almost always dies. Somehow the hiker stumbled
across the bear, and she attacked him. A mother bear with cubs is very
dangerous.

The hiker had a firearm on him, and he ended up killing the bear.
That left the three cubs, who were not weaned. So the forest service
trapped them in fox traps, and they called us.

How did bears from Wyoming end up in Memphis?

One of our staff, Gail Carr, is the point person for placing
orphaned grizzly bears. She also works with the Bear Species Survival
Plan. They called her on placement, and she knew that I had been
actively looking. For us, it was a perfect situation. We didn't have
any grizzly bears at the zoo.

Are there special measures being taken to prepare wild bear cubs
for life in a zoo environment?

The biggest thing is giving them some peace and quiet and not
exposing them to people constantly. They're under quarantine in our zoo
hospital right now.

The biggest first step is to get them to eat, because they weren't
weaned. They're taking milk and a gruel that we're making up for them,
and they're also eating fruit and vegetables.

Since grizzly bears are accustomed to cooler climates, how will they
fare in the hot Memphis weather?

During the summer, we'll provide plenty of shade. Their night houses
are air-conditioned. Of all the bears, grizzlies are the most
adaptable. They won't mind the heat that much, to be honest. They're
not like polar bears.

What will the Teton Trek exhibit be like?

At the entrance, there will be a building inspired by the Old
Faithful Inn. That's a historic log cabin inn they have at
Yellowstone.

There will be our version of Old Faithful in front of that, a
fountain kids can play in. Then you'll go through and see an acre-sized
grizzly bear exhibit that has a stream that runs through it and a
waterfall. There will be a fishing area where the grizzlies can fish,
and you'll be able to see them catch fish underwater. You'll see arctic
waterfowl, wolves, and elk. The whole idea is to make it feel like
you're in a national park in that part of the country.